Star Fox: The Invisible War
by Maria Seinheart
Summary: Decades after the defeat of the Anglars, Corneria undergoes a drastic change that saw the persecution of mercenaries and rise of mega corporations. In this time of unrest, a plot was hatched to subjugate the Lylat System under the rule of a despot. Fox, one of the few free mercenaries left, must face a choice of whether to save his homeworld from collapse or leave it to its fate.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

The defeat of the Anglars may have brought forth the prospect for peace that has evaded the Lylat System for so long but peace always required a high price.

A decade after the defeat of the Anglars, Corneria held its 51st general elections. After long years of war and unrest caused by Corneria's enemies, the Cornerians wanted a tough stance against potential enemies. The past government had proven unpopular with their pacifist stance and the lack of alertness in the military. Many lives were lost during the Aparoid Invasion, a loss that Corneria never fully recovered from emotionally.

The end result of the elections saw General Alto Magnusson, a grey wolfhound, elected as president of Corneria. He was an aging veteran and a tough soldier who fought during the Lylat Wars, the Aparoid Invasion, and the Anglar Blitz. The reason Alto was popular among the people of Corneria was because of his promises to reform not only the military but also take a hard stand against dissidents. He said the reason Andross got away with his acts was because Corneria's past government had been "too kind" to Andross, which allowed him to create all sorts of problems. Alto said that General Pepper should have executed Andross rather than exile him to Venom.

Alto's hard-line stance against dissidents was strongly opposed by rights groups as well as Peppy Hare, another old veteran who decided to contest for presidency. Peppy was a well-respected figure among the Cornerians but he was never elected. While Peppy continued to advocate the pacifist stance, Alto set about with the reforms he promised. With funding from mega corporations and organizations, Alto was able to train Corneria's military into a force to be feared. He rebuilt Corneria's space fleet into a fighting force and enacted ordinances that "ensured the safety of Corneria and her people".

Two decades and four general elections later, Alto was still elected president but he was no longer the Messiah of the people. Instead, he became what the Cornerians had sought to prevent and this time, they had a hand in it. There were even rumors that Alto may be plotting against Corneria and possibly the entire Lylat System.

In such a dire time, their last hope lies in the hands of a former mercenary.

_**Star Fox: The Invisible War**_

* * *

Chapter 1: A Chance to Start Again

The Quiggly Tavern: a place where mobsters, hookers, and drinkers gathered to socialize and have a good time.

Located at the heart of Corneria City, the Quiggly Tavern was appropriately located in the seediest part of the city. It was seedy in the past but it became worse recently. The economic recession that hit a few years back had sent droves of unhappy Cornerians to the watering hole to drink their sorrows away and lament to uncaring bartenders and cold-hearted hookers who cared about nothing other than the credit chips in their wallets. Local mob "captains" frequented the place to hire the unwary to do their tasks and the prospect of easy money meant that anyone would do just about anything to earn a couple of credits.

Back then, mercenaries were a common sight in Quiggly Tavern. Today, they're almost non-existent. The Military Reformation saw a wide scale disbandment of mercenary groups and the imprisonment of hundreds of mercenaries. Falco Lombardi, the celebrated mercenary hero, was among the imprisoned mercenaries. He was a victim of Alto's zero tolerance Act against mercenaries whom he saw as threats to military honor and discipline.

Yet, despite Alto's efforts to round up all mercenaries on the loose, there was one mercenary that he never caught. Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi's friend. Of all the places the police looked, they never thought of looking for him at Quiggly's Tavern which Fox resided in.

It was 12 p.m. and activity in Quiggly's Tavern showed no signs of slowing down. The bar and private rooms teemed with Cornerians looking for a good time. Disco music blared from enormous speakers with Cornerians raving to it like a mad bunch of drunkards. Most of them were drunk, but not Fox. He knew he had to be on guard and the last thing he wanted during a raid was being drunk and unable to defend himself.

He was already 48 years-old but his fur had already started losing color, a sign of old age. Fox's eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep and eye bags hung underneath them like heavy sacks. He had a laser hyperblaster on him but nobody else cared. Guns were a common sight in Quiggly Tavern but shootouts were a rare occurrence. As long as nobody draws their weapons, there was no danger of a ruckus that would definitely attract the attention of law enforcers.

Fox was having his third glass of Cobalt Elixir, a strong spirit with 40% alcohol, when the bartender, Rudyard Quiggly, slipped him a piece of paper. Since the alcohol had yet to take effect, Fox could still read the paper. It was a promise of twenty thousand credits if Fox infiltrated BioCorp and steal the building's blueprints. The request seemed so blatant and straightforward that Fox wanted to laugh. He scrunched up the paper and flicked it into the hands of bartender.

"This guy thinks I'm some sort of corporate spy," he muttered. "I used to be a mercenary doing tasks for money and even if I'm still one, I'm not stealing blueprints. No sir…"

"Twenty thousand credits is a lot of money and considering the current economic situation, I dare say it must be someone rich who'se asking you to do some procurement of highly sensitive information," Rudyard said nonchalantly while serving a tankard of beer to a customer that had took a seat beside Fox.

"Yeah, a rich guy who doesn't bother telling me who he or she is and how I could receive my payment," Fox said with a laugh.

Fox was not laughing when he saw an envelope in front of him. Slowly, he looked towards his right and noticed a husky in black trench coat and fedora looking at him. The husky did a toasting gesture at Fox before drinking from the tankard. Fox alternated his attention from the husky to the envelope and back at the husky again.

"What, never seen an envelope before?" the husky asked in a soft voice after drinking his tankard of beer.

"You…you gave me that, didn't you," Fox said.

"What if I did?"

"What do you want from me?"

The husky put down the tankard and spun his chair left so he could face Fox directly. It was then that Fox noticed a police badge pinned on the right breast pocket of the trench coat. Fox's eyes widened and any drunk feelings that started to cloud his mind instantly vanished. Fox wanted to pull his gun out but the husky already had his drawn and the muzzle was pressed against Fox's stomach. He wagged the index finger of his left hand slowly.

"I wouldn't start a scene if I were you, Fox McCloud. I thought you knew better after living in this place for the last five years," said the husky.

Fox's hand instinctively moved away from the holster and resumed a relaxed stance. Seeing no more reaction from Fox, the husky holstered his weapon.

"That's a nice gun you got there. Looks like a Model-5 shotgun blaster," Fox said after five seconds of uneasy silence.

"The last of its kind too. Beltino Ballistics had ceased production of shotgun blasters last year. For an old guy, you sure know about modern weapons," said the husky.

"I'm not _**that**_ old, you twit," Fox said, apparently insulted by what the husky said.

The husky laughed and placed a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Alright, alright, lighten up will ye? Don't be such a fun police."

"Why are you here?" asked Fox while shrugging away the husky's hand. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Easy, Mr. McCloud, let's not get too hostile. First off, I'm Detective Rossi and as for what I want and why I'm here? I want nothing from you and I'm here to deliver you twenty thousand credits. Seems to me that you have your first customer in umpteen years and he apparently likes you enough and not call for a raid and catch you off guard," said Detective Rossi with a smile on his face.

"Geez, since when do corporations call the shots around here?"

"Since they started paying the police their salaries, old fox."

"I'd appreciate it if you stopped calling me old," Fox growled.

"And I'd appreciate it if you let me finish my explanation," Detective Rossi said, the smile on his face disappeared and replaced by a grim look. "As part of the police force, I'm obliged to do what Beltino Ballistics asks me to do, at least in Corneria City and the surrounding territories since they are under BB's jurisdiction. The CEO is treading a very fine line here and that extends to me as well. If President Alto knows about this, he'll be very upset and I may even lose my job. If he knows we're helping you…damn…I wouldn't be surprised if Alto decides to crucify us publicly. You are, to him, public enemy number one but BB's been turning a blind eye."

"Public enemy number one? What'd I ever do to President Alto?" Fox asked.

"You may have done nothing but don't you remember that he sees mercenaries as a threat to military discipline? He thinks the idea of easy money would encourage recruits to leave and be whatever they like, good or bad. Granted that Star Fox has a rather good reputation, not all mercenary teams are like Star Fox. Many teams actually garnered bad reputations and the image of mercenaries have been soiled multiple times by the likes of Pigma Dengar and Star Wolf. The good always go past the blind spot while the bad is always projected on the retina. Star Fox's heroism, in the end, has been overshadowed by anti-mercenary rhetoric so vehemently endorsed by our 'Beloved President'."

"I'm painfully aware of President Alto's stance against mercenaries. He hates mercenaries enough to have fleets of warships sweep the entire system for us. You haven't given me a reason on why Beltino Ballistics wants my services. I used to be a mercenary; not a corporate spy. If it's someone you want me to take out or capture, I'm all ears. Stealing blueprints from a rival company? I think it's better if you ask that snake Leon Powalski. He can camouflage himself while I can't. Besides, you kept saying I'm old and your task sounds like a job for young people," Fox said.

"I feel that there's more at stake than corporate interests, Fox. At this moment, the CEO has chosen not to reveal too much. Trust me when I say that I'm not told everything. Although I'm not allowed to tell you what I know, I am, however, allowed to tell you that once you accept this task, you'll realize that money and petty corporate rivalry are not part of the equation."

Fox did not answer back. He allowed the information to absorb into his mind. He was still dubious of Detective Rossi's intentions as well as the intentions of the CEO of Beltino Ballistics. Fox wanted to stay away from society and just disappear from the radar. He thought he was being successful but now he realized that his disappearing act was successful was because Beltino Ballistics hadn't asked the police force to capture him. The fact that Detective Rossi knew so much about him meant that the local police force was well-informed of his whereabouts.

The disco music seemed louder now that they were not conversing. Disco lights strobbed wildly and it seemed to whip the crowd into a dancing frenzy with moves that had no defined pattern; just wild flinging and head banging. The beat of the music seemed to correlate with the flickering faulty neon sign above the pub's entrance. Fox wanted to order another glass of Cobalt Elixir but Detective Rossi stopped him.

"You have to make a decision, Fox. My employer would want to hear about this and he will be very disappointed if you decline," Detective Rossi said.

"Look, pal, I don't like being forced into doing things I don't wanna do so don't push your luck. Why me? Why not someone else like Kursed or Wolf O' Donnell?" Fox said angrily.

"Kursed is a hunted mercenary outside of Corneria City, meaning she has no protection like what BB is giving you right now and this, we cannot hire her. As for Wolf O' Donnell, he's dead, Fox. He and his cohorts died during a space shootout at Meteo. They were hoping to leave the Lylat System and head for the Eridani System but the fleet caught up with them. I heard that Wolf sacrificed himself to cover his comrades and got his Wolfen shot to pieces by turboblasters," Detective Rossi said softly, his expression was glum and he looked like as if he was paying his respects to Wolf O' Donnell.

Fox made a pained expression but he did not say anything. As much as Fox hated to admit it, he saw Wolf as a rival and it surprisingly pained him to see Wolf die in such a manner. Sure he was despicable but Wolf was no doubt a good fighter and someone who was willing to die if Corneria was threatened. It was at that moment that Fox realized he had not been keeping up with the news, or he was actually present when news was being presented to him but was too drunk to comprehend anything.

"You can't run forever, Fox. The choice is yours to make," Detective Rossi said while looking at his watch. "I must return to headquarters. If you decide to change your mind, feel free to give me a call," said the husky and he gave Fox his business card.

Rossi got up from his chair and went towards the exit. Before he opened the doors, he gave Fox one last look before leaving. Fox sat there quietly, his left hand placed on the envelope. He felt something in it. Out of curiosity, Fox opened the envelope and in there, he saw a credit chip valued twenty thousand credits. Fox's shoulders slumped. He felt a pang of guilt for not accepting but then again, doubts still prevented him from helping. Fox noticed a piece of paper hidden at the bottom of the envelope. He took it out and read it.

"You will change your mind," Fox read out. He frowned and slipped the paper back into the envelope angrily. If they think he would change his mind in a snap, they were sadly mistaken.

"Sounds like you've gotten yourself into quite a pickle, Fox," Rudyard the barkeeper said.

"Shut it, gorilla. If it threatens my existence, I have every right to decline," Fox said rudely.

"And what will you do to support yourself then? I've been kind enough to let you stay for free but I can't keep your existence a secret forever. If Alto wises up and personally orders a raid on my establishment, not even Beltino Ballistics' CEO can save you. It's high time you live on the move and change your identity. Get your own money and home," Rudyard said, unaffected by Fox's rudeness.

Fox growled. Rudyard was right and Fox felt bad for not doing anything useful other than drink all day long. He was sure Rossi did not leave the envelope unintentionally, otherwise he would've returned and took it. Twenty thousand credits was a lot of money and it was more than enough to not only buy a new weapon with attachments and a pair of clothes, Fox even had excess to forge some documents to change his identity and maybe even repair his dilapidated Arwing.

Fox got up from his seat and without another word, he went to the basement of Quiggly's Tavern where he made it his home for the past few years. He could not afford a good bed and slept on a dirty mattress. His only light source was an oil lamp that Rudyard gave to him. Guided by the lamp's light, Fox headed for the showers to clean himself. He looked in the mirror and noticed how unhealthy he looked. His eyes looked wrong, his belly looked wrong, and even his arm muscles looked wrong.

There was no time to lament on his deplorable health condition. Fox had to leave quickly so that he could find himself a new place to stay and plan his next move. Luckily for him, he had a tan long coat and black hat that Rudyard gave to him in case of cold weather. He could use them to slip past prying eyes. He had his hyperblaster hidden under the coat. He packed his belongings into a black luggage back while placing the important stuff such as the envelope of money and some spare energy cells in his suitcase.

A stairwell nearby led to the garage that housed Fox's Arwing. He went in there and turned on the garage lights. Before him was his Arwing which had served him so faithfully during many battles. It was heartbreaking to see her in this condition but Fox vowed to return for her and polish her up again.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you'll get a new coat of paint when I return," Fox said softly while rubbing his hand across the Arwing's wing. "Be a good girl and don't fall apart on me," he added before turning the lights off.

Instead of going through the front entrance, Fox made his way to the back exit where it was guarded by a bouncer known only as Jack. He, like Fox, was a fox but had different fur color and body mass. Jack was two heads taller than Fox and had two times the muscle mass. If a fight broke out between them, Jack could easily send Fox flying into the nearby dumpster. Luckily, he and Fox were friends.

"Going somewhere Fox?" Jack asked when he saw Fox.

"Yeah, I'm going to 5th Street. I reckon it's a good place to start anew," answered Fox.

"No doubt it is," Jack said. "I'm glad you've decided to forge your own path from now on but…why the sudden change of heart?"

"Oh, I have my reasons," Fox said coolly while adjusting the collar of his long coat.

Jack chuckled. "Ah, if that's the case, I won't interrogate you further. Listen, if you need a temporary place to stay, I got a good friend of mine who stays at Number 4 Place. Tell him I sent ye and he'll give ye the warmest welcome you'll ever get."

"Thanks, Jack, I appreciate the help," Fox said with a smile.

"Anything for a friend. Do say hi to Jaden for me, ya?"

"I will."

The two foxes shook hands and bid each other farewell. There was no point looking back; only look forward to what was ahead. The cold night air made Fox sober and each breath flushed cool air into his lungs. Mist formed in front of him with each breath he took and dissipated quickly. Fox made his way down a dirty alleyway and into the streets of Corneria City.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Slippy's Task

* * *

Corneria City.

Fox remembered the good old days when the city was in harmony with nature and wherever he went, there was always green color. Ever since Alto came to power, he began using the city's free space for industrialization purposes. Parks and forest reserves were converted to lots where corporate headquarters and manufacturing plants took the place of trees and ponds. It was not the city he used to know. The eco city had become a concrete jungle dominated by lights, technology, and poverty.

Everywhere Fox went, he could see flying police drones scouting the streets and randomly scanning a passer-by. They were a threat and Fox made sure he stayed clear of them. Whenever a drone was close by Fox would somehow find a way to evade being spot-checked by hiding in an alleyway or pretended to do something like window shopping and reading the advertisement board. He noticed that many advertisements talked about the future of augmentation technology and the benefits they brought.

"I like my body natural," Fox said to himself.

At the sidewalk of almost every major street, Fox was greeted by homeless Cornerians and holographic models who advertised a range of products from humble household items to luxurious things like mansions and expensive cars. The nightlife of Corneria City was a sight to behold and again, Fox felt out of place. He was born and raised in the city and back then, it was never this busy late at night. He remembered the times when he and his father James would take nightly walks. Back then, the streets were usually almost quiet during midnight.

Fox noticed that the roads were heavily upgraded from medium density roads to high density avenues with streetcar rails in the middle of the avenues. It seemed like Alto had been putting the planet's funds to good use. Not many Cornerians drive a car and most of them prefer to utilize public transportation so the streetcars and buses were always full. Alto's government even subsidized public transportation and for that, the transportation department had received a lot of praise.

As Fox made his way to the city center, the presence of police got heavier. At every street, there were at least two police officers patrolling the vicinity. They wore heavy winter coats with the words "Police" printed at the back to keep them warm. Most of the officers were lightly armed but a couple of them carried shotguns and even the old machine guns from the time of the Aparoid Invasion. Despite heavy police presence, they were actually rather lax in their security. Fox even looked them in the eye and all they did was gave him a friendly smile. They were either under orders not to capture him or they were unaware of who he was.

Since Fox's intended destination – 5th Street – was across town, he had to cross the city center. At the very heart of Corneria City was a familiar sight: the pyramid-shaped Cornerian High Command. It had received plenty of new upgrades such as automated sentry turrets located at the building's entrance, high-powered spotlights at each corner of the pyramid, and a powerful holographic projector on the top of the pyramid which displayed video messages from President Alto Magnusson so that the whole of Corneria City could see.

At each face of the pyramid was a large holo-screen that displayed advertisements and news from Corneria Broadcasting Association. It was not the only building to have a large screen though. Many major buildings throughout the city such as Beltino Ballistics headquarters, BioCorp headquarters, and Highland Hotel had large holo-screens on them. It was obvious that Alto had spent a lot on communications technology as well. Fox heard he wanted to educate the people but it seemed more like pumping propaganda into people's heads. Still, he wanted to stop and watch the current news.

"_As the Cornerian Space Fleet finalizes its sweep for possible enemies on Venom, several warships are being sent to the outer reaches of the system in response to alleged sightings of unknown vessels intruding the outer system. Fleet Admiral Dash Bowman said that the unknown vessels were nothing more than scout ships which his ships had wiped out completely. In other news, President Alto Magnusson is announcing the unveiling of Project Singularity, a piece of technology that – according to scientists – could further improve communications technology and increasing global network connection speed by a hundredfold. Project Singularity even allows for high speed interplanetary communications and messages sent from one planet could reach the other within a minute or two."_

The newscaster seemed rather familiar to Fox but he could not remember who she was. Pictures correlating to the news the newscaster were reporting popped up beside her while below her was a news ticker. A particular news caught Fox's eyes: Kursed apprehended at Sauria. That was all that was said in the ticker. It seemed like one of the system's most notorious mercenaries was captured. Not that it mattered to Fox but he always thought Kursed would be smarter than to go to a heavily guarded planet. She did not strike Fox as the hot and brash type of mercenary who would go charging into battle.

Whatever the reason that brought her to Sauria, she was captured and it was a reminder to Fox to keep his head down and avoid attracting unwanted attention. So far, Fox had managed to avoid getting checked by police officers and police drones. He scowled. He hated the fact that he was unwelcomed on his own world. Fox's grip on his luggage bag tightened to the point where his knuckles grew white and his grip started to hurt his own palm.

_Get a grip, Fox. You're out in the open. Better find shelter soon_, he thought aloud in his mind.

At the same time, the sky started to snow.

* * *

Beltino Ballistics headquarters was one of the tallest buildings in Corneria City. This towering 900 meter tower was also a very bright object. Even at night, the lights of Beltino Ballistics headquarters shone like thousands of beacons. The flashing aircraft warning lights warned low-flying aircraft and spaceships to steer clear of it. From the very top floor of the building, one could see Corneria City as far as the eye could see. At night, the city was like a sea of lights with several waving spotlights in the distance.

It was the same sight that Slippy Toad sees almost every day. He was both fascinated and disgusted by the sight.

Many years ago during Alto's fledging rule, his father was running a company of his own called General Technologies Corporation, a company dedicated to researching technologies for the very mundane tasks to new weapons of war and spaceships. Alto looked up to Beltino's scientific prowess and sought to utilize his brilliance to upgrade the Cornerian Army's arsenal. Beltino was not in for the money but he shared Alto's sentiment that the Cornerian Army's arsenal was tad outdated in firearms technology. After what happened _**on the ground **_during the Lylat Wars and Aparoid Invasion, Beltino Toad was convinced that the introduction of new weapons was in order.

Slippy had worked for his father's company after the Anglar Blitz and it was Slippy's connection with Beltino that saved him from being pursued by Alto's men. Beltino was important to Alto and he threatened to leave the company should Slippy be apprehended. Knowing what was at stake, Alto backed off and let Slippy and his fiancé go while going after the rest of the mercenaries. After his father retired from the company, General Technologies Corporation had switched from producing everyday technology and weapons to solely weapons. The Great Economic Recession of 22 ALW (After Lylat Wars) did not slow the arms industry. Slippy, now CEO, renamed the company to Beltino Ballistics in honor of his father.

Alto was wary of Slippy but he dared no touch him. He was head of a very powerful company after all and Beltino Ballistics was one of the biggest benefactor's to Alto's government. Slippy's company helped revitalize some of Corneria's sagging economy by providing new job opportunities in the augmentation and space industry. The augmentation industry proved to be a money earner and the space industry was growing fast in popularity. Many fledging industries were popping up in resource-rich planets like Sauria and Fortuna and those industries helped to further revitalize the economy.

Slippy saw snow falling from the sky and it reminded him of previous years when he an Amanda had just married. He proposed to her during a snowy night like this in a pagoda at Corneria Central Park. It overlooked a lake and the park had only a few couples going about their romantic walks. The thought put a smile on Slippy's face but the past was the past. He wanted to live a quiet life with his family but his workload and problems with Alto's government had reduced the once happy and clumsy frog to a serious and calm person. Nowadays, it was rare to see a smile from him.

A knock on his office door disrupted his train of thought. "Mr. Slippy Toad, its Detective Rossi," a voice came from outside his office.

"Come in, detective," Slippy said and he turned away from the window to face the door.

The doorknob turned and the door swung open noisily. In came Detective Rossi, his coat and fedora covered in snow. He dusted them off into a trash bin and hung them on an oaken coat rack next to the office's fireplace. Without waiting from an invitation from Slippy, Rossi took a seat on a chair in front of Slippy's desk. Slippy noticed Rossi's ears were drooped and his expression spoke volumes of his disappointment in something. He knew what it was.

"I guess Fox rejected the job huh," said Slippy.

"Damn straight," Rossi said with a bitter smile.

"I expected him to do so. If you were to tell him that the CEO was me, Fox would no doubt listen but it would draw a lot of attention, especially Alto's."

"No, sir, even if Fox didn't know who you are, him coming into this building will rouse suspicion. The public may have forgotten about the Star Fox but not President Alto. If he gets word of your little espionage activity and plans to have Fox involved, he'll come down on you, hard. He's getting bolder, sir."

Slippy nodded his head slowly. "I'm aware of that. He held back because of my father and because he needs me to continue pumping out new technologies for him. I reckon he must've found himself a new genius to do all his bidding." The frog gave a crooked smile.

Slippy reached for the mini refrigerator underneath his desk and took out a bottle of vintage wine. He retrieved two wine glasses from a nearby drawer and poured the wine into each glass. Slippy offered one glass to Rossi while he took the other. Rossi took the glass of wine and the two toasted each other before drinking.

"Mm, the 415 Katina Special. My father loves these," Rossi said after tasting the wine.

"I got this many decades ago during the Lylat Wars. Peppy gave it to me as a gift for my contribution to Star Fox. Well…actually, everyone got one but it was a great gift," said Slippy.

"A great gift indeed from a great veteran. Speaking of Peppy, how's he doing?"

Slippy's expression immediately soured. Rossi saw Slippy's grip on his wine glass loosen a bit and the contents threatened to pour out onto the desk. Realizing this, he tightened his grip again and held the glass straight.

"Peppy's in a coma, Rossi," Slippy said in a low voice. "I'm not sure how much longer he can hold."

"Wow…has it gotten that worse?"

"He's been in and out of coma for a while and he can't remain conscious for too long. Inspector-General Langley is on the case but she hasn't reported any clues of foul play so far. Detective Rossi, I'd like to go help with the investigation."

"What about Fox McCloud?"

"You leave that to me. I think I can convince Fox to help me out if I met him in person and explain everything. Does he have your business card?"

"Yes sir."

"Then direct his call to me. I'll fix a venue to meet him."

Slippy wanted to offer Detective Rossi more wine but he politely declined, stating that he needed to get back to work. Since the bottle of wine was almost finished, he decided to drain the whole bottle. After the bottle was empty, he kept it aside so he could clean it later and keep the bottle in his trophy room. Rossi retrieved his fedora and coat from the coat rack and put them on. With a brisk farewell, the husky left Slippy's office. Once again, Slippy experienced complete silence and the loudest sound he heard was the crackling of fire from the fireplace.

He thought about Alto's increasingly bold behavior and the cause of Peppy's head injuries. It was no secret that Alto disliked Peppy because of his support for the mercenaries, especially Star Fox, but he and Peppy used to be friends and Slippy had doubts that Alto would kill an old friend of his. Then again, when it came to power and politics, anyone would do anything to silence opposition and stay in power unhindered. An honest and honorable politician was about as real as a can of striped paint.

Alto's influence was growing fast and it was only a matter of time before he decided to remove Slippy from the scene.

* * *

Fox nearly ran into an APC when he tried to cross the avenue to 5th Street.

He swore it just came out from nowhere and the driver did not even stop to see if Fox was alright. Instead, the APC driver sounded the horn at Fox as he drove past him at top speed, throwing up snow in its wake. Some of the snow was splashed onto Fox.

_Why would they mobilize the military for? _Fox wondered.

5th Street was the beginning of the suburbs. Fox had to take a streetcar to the last station to save time; otherwise he would be walking for at least two hours. The streetcar ride was surprisingly pleasant because they were clean and the heating system worked perfectly. It even had a television to keep passengers entertained though the shows were far less entertaining than watching the streets go by in a blur. The ride only cost Fox 10 credits and it was far cheaper than the streetcar fares more than 20 years ago.

The suburbs at 5th Street were quiet. The streets were illuminated by street lamps emanating orange lights and there were no signs of life on the streets save for a few stray animals and the occasional pedestrian having a late night stroll by themselves or with a loved one. The trees that provided shed during the summer had shed their leaves, leaving behind leafless trees with gnarly branches that looked like claws ready to grab someone. From the suburbs, the hustle and bustle of the city center sounded very distant and soft. Fox appreciated the change of scenery.

Following Jack's advice, Fox went to Number 4 Place where Jack's friend Jaden lived. It was at the east end of a poorly lit cul-de-sac. Most of the houses there were abandoned and the few houses that were occupied were rundown and in a dismal condition. They were a far cry to the well-kept apartment blocks and medium wealth houses just a street away. Number 4 Place may as well be a mansion among the houses at the cul-de-sac because of its size but its condition was just as bad as the rest. Some of the windows were boarded up while several of them hung from their hinges, creaking noisily as the wind blew.

Fox approached the door, knocked on it two times, and waited. He heard footsteps from within the house and moments later, a burly young fox answered the door. Despite the cold weather, he wore only a tight-fitting singlet and a pair of baggy brown cargo pants. He was taller than Fox but shorter than Jack and his long hair was tied into a pony tail. Fox looked out for signs of hostility but Jaden was all smiles.

"I heard you were coming, McCloud. It's good to finally meet you in person," Jaden said.

"It's good to see a friendly face," Fox said while entering into the house after being prompted.

Jaden locked the door and helped Fox hang his coat and hat on a wall hanger. After putting down his luggage in the dilapidated guest room, Jaden and Fox sat down in the dining hall where Jaden served Fox a plate of steak and a glass of wine. Jack was right. Jaden knew how to make someone feel welcome even though he looked like a gangster. Jack had mentioned that Jaden used to be part-time mercenary before Alto began stepping up his anti-mercenary hunts. Fox didn't know much about Jaden but he knew that Jaden fought on Katina during the Anglar Blitz. He even hung a piece of an Anglar-made fighter on a wall in the dining room as a trophy.

"Thanks for letting me stay here for a while. I appreciate it," Fox said.

"It's no biggie, McCloud. It's the least I could do for a legendary mercenary such as yourself," Jaden said as he poured a glass of wine for himself.

"Being legendary is gonna get me killed nowadays," Fox quipped. "And I've died more than once…emotionally."

"Lost your loved ones?"

"Yeah…I hope that she's fine, wherever she is."

"Oh, so you two separated? Well then…that does suck," Jaden muttered thoughtfully. "Who was your lover? Is it Krystal?"

"That's a personal matter I'd rather not discuss," Fox remarked quickly. "The past is the past and I'm not letting it hold me back."

Jaden chuckled. "If that's what you're doing, you're not doing a very good job then. I can see you're still frustrated."

Fox kept quiet and continued eating his steak while Jaden slowly sipped at his wine. The wall clock showed it was an hour past midnight but the feeling of sleepiness was not felt. The clock's ticking was masked by the sound of a rather old electric generator powering the house. It was located in the basement and if it were outside, the noise would be much louder. Old generators used diesel fuel for power while the newer generators utilized hydrogen fuel and was quieter and cleaner. They were expensive and Jaden hadn't got the money to buy one.

"You fought on Katina before, right?" Fox asked.

"Yep, I did. One of my most glorious moments in my career as a mercenary," Jaden said. He turned around to face his trophy. "That sucker on the wall is a reminder that old tech can always beat new ones. All you need is some knowhow, a good aim, and luck. During the attack on Katina, my team got hold of several anti-aircraft guns in an abandoned military base. They were old and used tungsten shells but nothing like a little elbow grease to get them working again. The Anglars thought they could bully us just because we used old tech. Guess what, we blew them out of the sky and kept doing so until we ran out of ammo. You'd be surprised at how effective they are at penetrating energy shields and punching holes in aircraft armor."

"Must be the 'Cornerian Slingshot'. I heard they were used in battles a century ago," Fox said.

"They didn't use the Slingshots much and we were surprised that they were still in serviceable condition after so long," Jaden remarked with a smile. "Anyway, where've you been all these years?"

"In hiding," Fox muttered. He looked at Jaden and said, "Been hiding for more than a decade ever since Alto started hunting down mercenaries. I hid in Sauria, Fortuna, and the abandoned Sargasso hideout. Eventually came back to Corneria after a friend of mine from the Army helped smuggle me and my Arwing into the city where he persuaded Quiggly to give me shelter."

"Must've taken a lot of balls to smuggle someone like you and an Arwing into dangerous territory. How does it feel to be back home after such a long time?"

"Unwelcomed. Corneria is my home and the worst thing that can happen to a Cornerian is when their own world rejects them," Fox said in a dejected tone.

"Yeah…it sucks when that happens. Don't you worry, Fox, I'll help you out. You're free to stay in my place but I ain't letting moochers get free food from me. It's time to earn your keep and your right to stay. I know a place where you can work at without being searched all the time. It's a legitimate job so don't worry. You know who'se the CEO of Beltino Ballistics?"

"Who? Beltino Toad?"

"No, it's your friend, Slippy. He took over Beltino's place after he retired. I think Slippy can help provide you a decent job."

"Wait, what?! Slippy's the CEO of Beltino Ballistics?!" Fox exclaimed and nearly choked on his food. "Hold on…that can't be right…"

"You've been hiding for too long, man. You need to get out more. I'm sure Slippy won't mind having an old friend work for him."

Fox thought about the conversation he had with detective Rossi a few hours ago. He realized he just rejected a job given to him by his friend. Still, Fox remained doubtful of what Slippy wanted with him. It was unlike him to send someone into the mouth of danger. Despite that, Fox felt obliged to hear what Slippy has to say. Maybe he could explain what he wanted to do with BioCorp's blueprints.

"Yes…" Fox said softly. "I think you're right. Jaden, do you have a communicator?"

"I do but what do you want with it?"

"I'm gonna make an appointment."

* * *

_Glossary_

_Laser Hyperblaster_: This weapon is the combination of the blaster and machine gun. Its compact size and high rate of fire makes it a reliable personal defense weapon.

_Shotgun Blaster_: The shotgun blaster is basically a blaster-sized shotgun which holds 3 shells. While powerful at close range, the shotgun blaster loses power at further distances.

_Cornerian Slingshot_: A little-known weapon built more than century ago as a cheap anti-aircraft solution. Despite being less advanced than laser anti-air batteries, the Cornerian Slingshot is a surprisingly powerful and accurate weapon. Its quad 30mm auto cannons can shred aircrafts.

_Alto Magnusson_: A soldier through and through since the outbreak of the Lylat Wars. Alto is a highly respected soldier though he has a strong hostility against mercenaries.

_Beltino Ballistics_: Corneria's top defense contractor after the liquidation of Space Dynamics. Although the company manufactures household products and civilian vehicles, defense contracts are Beltino Ballistics' major source of income.

_415 Katina Special_: A vintage wine made by Katina Westside Breweries (formerly known as Daniel and Bros.)

* * *

_A/N: Yeah, I wrote this late at night so there may be mistakes so do forgive me if I made any. Do review because it's the only way I can improve the story further._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Slippy's Task

* * *

"Wake her up."

Kursed felt a heavy punch to her left cheek. Blood and saliva flew from her mouth and stained the wall next to her. She was dazed when the punch landed and her vision blurred. Dry blood caked the floor beneath the chair where she was seated. Kursed noticed the silhouette of a figure standing in front of her with a very bright light shining behind the silhouette. She blinked her eyes hard to clear her vision but it did not help much. The silhouette in front of her held something that looked like a baton in its left hand while its right hand was clenched into a fist.

"We can do this all day, Kursed," a voice said. The voice came from a speaker within the room she was in and it sounded distorted, no doubt to hide the identity of the person speaking. "I'll have my men do this until you start talking. It's not gonna get you anywhere if you keep that pretty lips of yours zipped tight."

"Go to hell," Kursed muttered weakly, blood dripped from the side of her mouth.

"We're already in hell," the voice said calmly. "I don't like seeing girls being beaten up but if it's what it takes to make one talk, I have no qualms about using some…pain and persuasion."

"Not a very gentlemanly guy, are you?" Kursed sneered. "Having a woman beaten mercilessly and tied to a chair. If you want information about the uprising…I'm afraid I can't give you much…since I wasn't there when it happened."

The voice gave a chuckle. "That uprising was nothing more than a petty attempt to get sympathy from the public. The people of Corneria aren't fools, Kursed. They didn't fall for it."

"You're right…they're not fools," Kursed said. "They are, however, ignorant."

Without warning, the silhouette in front of her raised his baton and brought it down on Kursed's abdomen. She grunted in pain and another blow made her cough up blood. Her body went limp and her breathing became labored. She felt weak. She hated that feeling but it overcame her as easily as the pain did. Kursed tried to look at who her tormentor was again, she only saw a silhouette. The bright light behind him was preventing her from seeing its features. If only she could read its mind…

"Before you try any tricks, Kursed, I suggest you think twice," the voice said. "This place is surrounded by a psychic negation field. Yes…I know who you are. Your name isn't really Kursed."

"My old name means nothing to me anymore," Kursed said, this time with a little more strength in her voice. "She died and only I'm left."

"She died and you're her remnant bearing her likeness. No matter how much you try to deny it, you can never escape the past. Nobody has ever succeeded from escaping from their own history. Your actions in the past were the reasons why I despise mercenaries so much. No honor, no discipline! All you do is follow the money and glory. That's what you mercenaries are good at. I question your loyalty if Corneria ever comes under threat," the voice said loudly. Kursed detected a hint of anger in the voice.

"Well," Kursedl muttered. "If you hate mercenaries so much…why're you keeping me here? Shouldn't I be in death row or something?"

There was a few seconds of silence before the voice broke it with a soft and menacing chuckle. "My dear Krystal, I do hate mercenaries but you…you have something I need. The pain I'm putting you through is to prepare you for what's ahead. Trust me…that pain will make my session feel like a slap. I think we've done enough for today. You're no use to me if you're dead."

At the same time, the door to the room opened and in came two silhouettes while the giant silhouette in front of her turned around and marched out of the room. The lights soften and this allowed Kursed to see who the two silhouettes were. They were feline medics and each of them had a med kit. Both of them wore white Kevlar helmets with a red cross marked in front of their helmets. Their white and crisp uniforms seemed to shine a little under the soft light. One of them knelt beside Kursed and opened up her med kit. Kursed noticed an assortment of vials and surgery tools in it. The other medic was busy cleaning the blood of her face.

_I better find a way to get outta here_, Kursed thought.

Her hands and legs were tied to the chair and the medics were not about to untie her. The medic that was kneeling beside her prepared a tube filled with emerald green liquid. The medic inserted the tube into a jet injector. She pressed the injector at the back of Kursed's neck and injected the liquid into her. In an instant, her eyelids felt heavy and her head started feeling woozy. Kursed fought to stay awake but the anesthesia overpowered her senses.

"Don't fight it. You can't win," one of the medics said.

"The strong dose should keep her docile," Kursed heard the other medic said before she slipped into total unconsciousness.

* * *

The morning sky was graced by the presence of two solar bodies. Lylat shone the brightest while Solar was the dimmer and smaller companion. Fox remembered how dangerous it was flying over Solar. From the ground, it did not seem all that dangerous. Fox knew better.

Central Park was unusually crowded that morning. There was a politician from Alto's party having a campaign but Fox was not interested in what he had to say. He was here for Slippy. Last night, he managed to contact Slippy and the two agreed to meet at the East End of Central Park. East End was a forest reserve and it still is. Before Alto came to power, the municipal council of Corneria City was responsible for its maintenance. Now, Beltino Ballistics has taken over that responsibility. In a way, that meant that East End belonged to Slippy. That should ensure some privacy but Fox remained wary of eavesdroppers.

Fox was in his coat again but this time, he left his hat back at Jaden's house. He did, however, borrow Jaden's sunglasses which resembled uncannily like the sunglasses his father wore. Fox looked at his watch. It was nearly 10.30 and Slippy was not present yet. He decided to take a walk in the area near East End since he didn't want to wander too far. Most of the trees in central park were leafless but the evergreen trees made the otherwise dead-looking park look livelier. Some of the trees were decorated with colored lights to correspond with the winter holidays. It brought back a lot of bittersweet memories.

There was light snow that morning and it added to the festive atmosphere. Not even the drastic change of Corneria City's infrastructure could change the mood and feel of the winter holidays. Fox remembered pestering his father to buy him presents and make visits to Central Park because the winter carnival was held there. There never was a winter carnival ever since Andross's rise to power. While Fox was deep in thought, his communicator vibrated. It was not his but Jaden agreed to borrow Fox his spare communicator.

Fox retrieved the communicator from his pocket. It was an electronic message from Slippy asking Fox to meet at the East End entry gate. Without a moment's hesitation, Fox hurried to East End. Every step he took threw up some snow and imprinted footprints in the thick snow. After years of lack of exercise, Fox found it difficult to sprint for long distances. Still, the idea of meeting an old friend gave him the extra stamina he needed to reach his destination within less than a minute.

There, standing next to East End's entry gate was Slippy and a bodyguard. The height and size of the guard easily made Slippy look like a young child in a coat and balaclava. When Slippy was Fox running towards him, he nearly fainted. He thought it was James McCloud running towards him but he quickly realized it was Fox because James had not been seen for a long time. In fact, many believed he was dead. Besides, if he were alive, he would've been a very old fox.

"You're late," Fox said while panting as he approached Slippy.

"Traffic jam at the city center," Slippy said. "Apparently there was an accident."

The two stared at each other for a while before bursting into laughter and hugging each other while patting each other's backs. It was the first time the two met after so many years and emotions ran high. Fox actually had some tears dripping from the side of his eyes while Slippy stifled a sniff. Despite the embarrassing show of emotions, the bodyguard remained stoic and motionless.

"I miss you, old friend," Fox said.

"Same here, Fox. I can't believe it's been so long. You even look like your father now," Slippy remarked.

"Well, that's one way of rubbing insult at Alto's face if he sees me," Fox quipped. "You've changed a lot too."

"You won't believe how fast being in the corporate world can change someone," Slippy said.

"I hear you. I suppose we better get down to business and discuss about our little "plan"?"

"Oh yes, the little "plan"." Slippy winked furtively. "Colin, unlock the East End gate for us will you?"

The bodyguard did as Slippy said wordlessly. The gate swung open noisily when the locks came off. The two friends went into East End and the bodyguard closed the gate before locking it to prevent outsiders from entering. East End Forest Reserve had a different feel compared to the rest of Central Park. The trees were more closely packed together and several wild animals could be seen roaming around. Most went into hibernation while the animals that needed no hibernation went about playing in the snow.

"Have you heard of BioCorp?" Slippy asked.

"Can't say I have," Fox answered. "What about them?"

"There's something suspicious about them, Fox. BioCorp never existed until a couple of years ago. They're new to the corporate scene but in just a few years, it's become one of the big players in the biological and cybernetics industry."

"Sooo…you want me to do some corporate espionage because there's something fishy about them? Slippy, you know very well that Star Fox never did corporate espionage before. It's part of the job."

"There's no Star Fox, Fox. It's just us. You need a job, you got one here. I know I'm asking a lot of you but please consider it. You're the only one I can trust."

"It's too risky. I'm not as young as I used to be and the last thing I want is getting into a gunfight and having me painted as a killer by the media. Don't you have a job in your company? I'm rather satisfied with working as an employee than do something that could potentially endanger us."

"So you're not gonna help?" Slippy asked, his eyes drooped and his mouth curved downwards in disappointment.

Fox wanted to affirm what Slippy said but he saw how disappointed his old friend looked. He did not want to take the risk but he could not stand seeing his friend look unhappy. He had helped Star Fox so many times but Fox never fully repaid him. He provided Star Fox with vehicles and important equipments and his inventions were always the best and they helped saved lives. If there was ever a chance to repay Slippy, it was now. It was crazy but Fox wanted to help. Doubts held him back again but after speaking with his friend, Fox pushed back all doubts.

He took a deep breath and breathed out through his mouth. "Alright," Fox said. "I'll help you but you have to provide me with something to keep myself safe."

The moment Slippy heard Fox said that, Slippy was in smiles so wide that it reminded Fox of how inexperienced and inept Slippy was in piloting many years ago. He was always cracking a smile and calming frayed nerves.

"Don't you worry about that, Fox. I got just the things you need to help you in your mission!" Slippy exclaimed happily. "We'll go back to Beltino Ballistics headquarters and get you prepped."

_I don't think I'm gonna like this but I owe Slippy,_ Fox thought.

* * *

Upon returning to Beltino Ballistics headquarters, Slippy immediately brought Fox to the research labs where new weapons and equipments were being researched and tested. The employees in the labs were in awe when they saw Fox. Many of them had only seen Fox on the television but never in person. They whispered about him and said something about him behind his back but no one confronted Fox. Only those who lived through the tumultuous periods and were admirers of Star Fox came up to Fox to shake his hand and welcomed him.

"I'm so glad you could be here, Fox," said an ape in a white lab coat. "It's great to see Corneria's hero return."

"I'm no hero," Fox muttered. "Just a fugitive now."

"It's bullocks. Alto never got the glory he wanted during the wars so he decided to take out his frustration on the mercenaries," the ape said while waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "He's as much of a fugitive and crook as that psycho case Andross."

"Now, now, I'm sure we're all happy that Fox has returned but he's got an important mission to attend to," Slippy interjected.

"Ah, so what'll the mission be? All-out or stealth? Maybe a little bit of both?" the ape asked.

"Both," Slippy said.

The ape nodded his head enthusiastically. "Then you'll like what we've tested on recently, Fox McCloud. Come, come."

The ape led Slippy and Fox to a room known only as The Armory. It was basically a circular room with a table in the middle. Fox was befuddled by the lack of things in the room as he expected a room full of weapons. Instead, there was only a table. On that table was a button. The ape pushed the button. Suddenly, the walls in the room started to slide back and out came racks of weapons and display cases of new equipments. Fox's lower jaw dropped a bit while Slippy looked at Fox and gave him a smile that said 'are you impressed'.

"Big toys for big boys," the ape said while grabbing a missile launcher off a weapons rack. "All of these are newly manufactured and first time off the assembly line. They won't be available for sale for another 3 months but it looks like Mr. Slippy has given you the privilege of being our first customer."

"So…where do we get started?" Fox asked hungrily while his hand hovered over a Gatling Gun with a new design.

"I'll take it from here, Daniel. Let me brief Fox on his task privately."

"Aight, sir. It's good to see you again, Fox."

With the ape gone, Slippy closed the doors and locked it. He walked over to a rack that had the word 'Belongings' etched onto it. He grabbed a blaster and tossed it to Fox. He grabbed it with great dexterity and spun it.

"Wait, this is my old blaster, right?" Fox asked.

"It is. Someone delivered it to me so I kept it safe. I'm not sure who but the blaster came with a note that said 'may it serve Fox once more'. I reckon it was from someone who knew you," said Slippy.

"Or a total stranger," Fox remarked casually as he examined his weapon. "Wait a minute…it looks a bit different. I don't remember it having a scope."

"I did several modifications to it. The scope has both normal and thermal visions. I added an ammo counter to the blaster so you could see how much charge is left in your current cell. I've also increased the power of the energy cells so the lasers will do more damage. Unfortunately, that means it will have lesser shots compared to the older cells. The charge function remains but now, instead of homing charged shots, the charged shots will bounce from one enemy to the next."

"Really? That'd be very useful."

"Other little modifications I've made to it include increased rate of fire and module ports so you can further upgrade the blaster with any upgrade parts you find. It's the result a defense contract that calls for a modular weapon system."

Fox nodded his head. He reached for his hyperblaster and put it on the table while holstering the new blaster. Walking over to another weapons rack, Fox noticed a never seen before weapon and picked it up.

"What's this called?" Fox asked.

"That, my friend, is my personal masterpiece," Slippy said with a smile. "It's the magnetic accelerator rifle. It uses magnetic energy to propel tungsten shells so fast that it can penetrate tank armor and concrete. I meant for it to be a replacement of the sniper rifle but the MAR is very expensive to manufacture. There're still some problems with the magnetic coils overheating too easily but we're working on it."

Fox looked into the scope of the weapon. It looked like a normal scope but when Fox pressed on a button located on the left side of the scope, the vision changed to x-ray vision. It allowed him to see through walls and even look into the bodies of each individual.

"Remind me to get this from you when I have the chance."

"Take what you need for the mission. I'll have my guys prep them for combat."

* * *

BioCorp's headquarters was not far from Beltino Ballistics headquarters. It normally took less than 15 minutes to drive from Beltino Ballistics headquarters to BioCorp's but the main road that lead there was blocked because of a protest against Alto's decision to increase taxes. Slippy's chauffeur had to take an alternate route which took them out of Corneria City before looping back to the center of town. It took more than two hours because of more traffic jams that were caused by the traffic jams in the city. Fox wished he could fly his Arwing so he didn't have to go through it.

Slippy decided to brief Fox one more time regarding his chosen loadout and the task at hand while they were stuck in traffic.

"Ok, so my job is to go in there and get BioCorp headquarter's blueprints, right?" Fox asked while he examined his blaster to make sure it was in working order. "I still don't get why you would want their headquarters' blueprints when you're concerned with what they're doing. How're those two things related?"

"BioCorp claims that their headquarters does not have a research lab of its own like Beltino Ballistics does but time and time again, I noticed their employees moving loaded crates from the building. The delivery trucks that carried the crates had phony company names on logos on them. Don't you think that warrants some suspicion? Don't you think it's funny to see an ice cream truck delivering products unrelated to what they're supposed to sell?"

"Well…I suppose you do have a point," Fox remarked. "So we're talking about a possible secret lab or manufacturing facility beneath BioCorp."

"Yes, that's the general idea of it," Slippy said with a nod.

"Ok," Fox said and kept his blaster. "Assuming that there's a secret beneath BioCorp, what're you gonna do about it? Send the police after them?"

"No, that would cause a lot of unnecessary problems. We'll decide what to do after we've confirmed that BioCorp is hiding something. If it's something that could endanger us, we must do something about it," Slippy said.

"Like?"

"I dunno…depends on what's at stake I suppose."

Fox remained unconvinced that BioCorp was hiding something. Then again, he had been hiding for too long to know anything that went on in the city. Slippy agreed to pay Fox ten thousand credits should he come across additional information that could shed some light on what BioCorp was up to. It was Fox's first pay in so many years and he felt like as if he was accepting another mercenary contract like back in the days of Star Fox. The only difference was that he was doing his job all alone.

Entering into BioCorp was dangerous so Slippy gave Fox a stealth suit he called Ghost Skin. It was another new invention of Slippy's that was still in prototype stage but the frog was confident that it was ready for a field trial. Back at Beltino Ballistics, Fox had the chance to test the suit. It made him invisible both thermally and optically. Without power, the Ghost Skin looked like a baggy raincoat. The optical camouflage system was not perfect. If one scrutinized hard enough, they could see a shimmer in the air and a very faint shadow when light is pointed at the wearer. Still, it was good enough for sneaking past unsuspecting people. Slippy had warned Fox that sprinting and using weapons would automatically disable the camouflage system.

"If it's possible, try not to kill anyone. That should arouse lesser suspicion. If you must get rid of someone in the way, try a non-lethal takedown."

"I'll keep that in mind," Fox said. _Good thing for combat academy experience_, he thought.

***/

At the edge of the Lylat System, the remains of the scout ships that Dash Bowman's fleet destroyed not too long ago floated aimlessly in the darkness of space.

Bodies of the crew floated among the wreckages, their eyes lifeless. Some were killed by explosions while the rest died of asphyxiation. The strewn remains bumped into each other occasionally and the larger remains shattered into smaller pieces when they collided with each other. The bridge of the _TSS Belgrade _remained relatively intact but the interior was dark. Every computer was dead, cut off from the ship's fusion reactors.

However, one piece of equipment remained functional: the distress beacon. It ran on its own power and it would last for another five days. It would soon die as the beacon's batteries dry up but by then, the signal would be halfway to Terran-controlled space.

* * *

_Glossary_

Corneria Central Park: The largest park in Corneria is so big that it has a forest reserve in it. Any special outdoor event that is being held usually takes place at Central Park.

BioCorp: A biological and cybernetics research and manufacturing industry that came into being five years ago. Although a relatively young company, BioCorp has earned billions in revenue per year and has even surpassed Beltino Ballistics.

Magnetic Accelerator Rifle: It was meant to be a replacement for the existing sniper rifle but high manufacturing costs limited MAR production. It is one of the few weapons that do not use energy cells as ammunition.

Human: A species of great ape hailing from the Sol System a few hundred light-years away from the Lylat System. They have achieved space travel several hundred years ago but scientific progress and colonization efforts were slowed due to internal wars and an Aparoid Invasion.

TSS Belgrade: A light colony ship that can support two thousand inhabitants through long space journeys. It is one of the few surviving colony ships that escaped the Aparoid Invasion of Earth 50 years ago.

A/N: Thank you Bryan McCloud and Tallbrain123 for your reviews. I appreciate them. Please do comment and review, give suggestions in which area I can change to make the story better.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Disturbing Clues

* * *

_It has to be the back door, _Fox thought.

Slippy had his driver drop Fox off at the back entrance of BioCorp's headquarters. The security there was surprisingly lax with only two guards guarding a heavy steel door. Before going in, Fox rechecked his loadout and made sure his weapons and equipments were in working order.

"Blaster looks good, got three flash grenades and two distraction grenades with me, energy sword at full charge…" Fox murmured. "Yep, so far so good," he said with a satisfied nod. He reached for the Ghost Skin's activation unit and pressed it. He heard a soft hum emit from the unit and the suit's light-bending system came online. Fox brought up his hands in front of him and saw that they were cloaked. Other than the faint shimmer, the stealth was nearly perfect. "Ghost Skin in working order," he added.

"Fox, can you read me?" Fox heard Slippy's voice through his ear piece.

"Loud and clear, Slippy," Fox affirmed.

"Good, then we're all set. I'll be keeping track of your progress from my car. Since we don't have a layout of the building, I can't provide you with a minimap. I can, however, help you by hacking locked doors remotely. For a relatively young and strong company, BioCorp has really neglected their security. Hacking into their computers is easy peasey," said Slippy with a chuckle.

"That's good news. Security at the back door is lax too. I can get in no problem," Fox said confidently.

Slippy was silent for a few moments before he said, "Really? That's…oddly suspicious. I have a feeling that they're expecting us. Call me paranoid but security seemed a little bit too negligent."

"Negligent or not, I'll make sure to remain alert for suspicious activities."

"Alright Fox…please be careful."

"Will do," Fox said. He peeked over the corner of the wall and spied on the two guards.

One of them was having a cigarette break while the other was leaned against the wall, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Light in the alleyway was minimal and the Ghost Skin's shimmer was nearly masked by the darkness. Making sure not to run, Fox inched his way towards the two guards. Fox had stepped on several puddles of water in the process but the smoking guard paid no heed. He reached for an extendable baton, walked up to the smoking guard, and brought the baton down on the guard's head. The blunt force knocked the guard unconscious and he fell backwards onto the grimy ground. His cigarette rolled out from his mouth and extinguished when it rolled into a water puddle.

Fox was thankful the ground was heated and the snow melted because if there was snow, he would've made footprints that could arouse suspicion. The sleeping guard had not stirred from his sleep. He only snored a bit louder. Fox's Ghost Skin had deactivated but he did not wait for it to re-cloak. Immediately, he grabbed the head of the sleeping guard and knocked it against the wall. The guard never knew what hit him and he never had the chance to open his eyes to see who grabbed him before he found himself unable to wake up, his senses numbed by total unconsciousness.

With the two guards disposed off, Fox searched the guards for anything useful. He found a keycard on the first guard and kept it. He also took the spare energy cells they carried in case he needed to use his blaster. Fox swiped the keycard in the scanner and the door swung open. Fox entered the building and closed the door behind him.

"Slippy, I'm inside. Any idea where I should start looking for the blueprints?"

"The blueprints should be in the CEO's office. You may want to be mindful of the security systems in the building too. Whatever you do, do not cross laser tripwires. Just because you're invisible doesn't mean you're not there. Laser tripwires can still detect you. You can, however, sneak past security cameras as long as your Ghost Suit does not deactivate in front of them."

"Roger that."

"Also, I'm uploading a monitoring software into your eye piece. That should help you keep track of your status. Don't worry, you can thank me later," Slippy joked.

The holographic eye piece that Fox wore over his left eye came to life. His health condition, armor condition, ammo counter, and crosshair flickered on and data scrolled across the eye piece.

"Thanks," Fox said softly.

Fox entered an empty hallway which was well lit. He looked left and right and saw no signs of any security camera or laser tripwire. Confident that no danger was present in the immediate area, he took the left hallway down to the main lobby of the building. He walked so quietly that even he can't hear his own footsteps on the cold marble floor. The lobby was not crowded and there were only a few employees walking about. Fox methodically moved from one hiding spot to the other without raising an alarm. He brushed past a wolf but he was too busy flirting with the receptionist to feel a slight brush across his leg.

There was an obsidian statue of the company's logo in the middle of the lobby. Fox had found a keypad on it and he found it rather suspicious and out of place. He decided not to touch it because he had no access code for it and there were people in the lobby. Who knows what the keypad might activate. There was nothing interesting in the lobby so Fox went towards the entrance of the emergency stairwell. He decided that taking the elevator was not the best idea.

The stairwell was dimly lit but it was bright enough so that Fox could see what was ahead. The floor was littered with rubbish and some parts of the stairwell were so dirty that there were cockroaches and rats gathered in the rubbish pile. Despite the unsightly environment, Fox was thankful for one thing: the place was totally empty. The place was dirty to the point that employees refused to use it. This allowed Fox to move unhindered though he remained cautious about deactivating his Ghost Skin suit.

Fox found a partially ruined map of the building in one of the rubbish piles. How it got there was a mystery but it was important to him. He removed the cockroaches that were on the map and unfolded it. The building was about thirty stories high with two levels of underground parking. By the looks of the map, it seemed like BioCorp's claim of having no research lab and manufacturing facility held true. There was nothing on the map that points to any sort of research lab or manufacturing facility. Most of the building composed of offices and server rooms.

"There's a warehouse in the left wing though," Fox muttered. "I wonder what they're keeping in there."

He made a mental note to check out the warehouse after retrieving the blueprints from the CEO's office. Keeping the map in his pocket, Fox continued walking up the stairs. It was tiring to climb thirty stories and Fox's lack of exercise did not help the situation. Still, he pushed on without complaint. Each step he took sent soft echoes through the entire stairwell. Nobody came to check on the sound though. Ten minutes later, Fox reached the top floor.

* * *

Bill Grey huffed impatiently.

He was forced to wait at the helipad while the marines launched their assault on a fortress. The atmosphere on Venom was highly toxic so the marines had to conduct their operation in a full hazardous environment combat suit. Bill Grey's ATG (Assault/Transport Gunship) cockpit was fully sealed and filtered so he did not need a hazardous environment suit. Still, he wore one in case there was a leak in the filters.

The job of transporting troops from one place to another was not what he signed up for many years ago. He wanted to be a fighter pilot. He got that job but after the Anglar Blitz, there was no need for a large fleet of fighter pilots. Alto had dismissed many pilots and Bill Grey was one of the unlucky ones. Still, his career as a pilot and longtime flight experience earned him a second lease in his military career. The Board of Generals had assigned him to become a transport pilot and he was assigned to fly one of Corneria's elite marine groups. The group's codename was Echo and they were part of the 301st Space Assault Task Force.

It was indignity to Bill. He was a decorated pilot-turned-glorified transport pilot. He was always in the thick of action but never participating unless one of the marines called for close air support. The ATG's quad chin-mounted turbo blasters were more than enough to shred infantry and light armor while its stub-wings carried four rocket pods and several anti-tank missile launchers. The heavy composite plating on the ATG ensured the gunship's survival in heavy flak. In short, the assault-transport gunship was a tough customer in battle, something the marines on the ground needed to ensure their safety.

The marines were going into a building this time and there was nothing Bill could do but wait to extract them once they complete their mission. He looked outside and saw bolts of lightning striking down from the heavens. The cockpit's instruments malfunctioned and his compass went wild. It was an ion storm and Bill quickly shut off the engines to prevent the circuits and electronics from being fried. The ion storm was something recent because before the last war ended, there were no ion storms. Bill suspected that the remnants of the Anglars or the Venomian Army were purposely generating ion storms to thwart attempts by Corneria to spy on them.

Bill alternated his attention between the storm outside and the team's status monitor that showed up on his helmet's holographic display. The displays broke into static rather often because of the storm but Bill was surprised it didn't dissolve into static completely. There was no way to tune into their squad frequency but their heartbeats told Bill what he needed to know. Even in the face of uncertainty, the marines maintained a steady heartbeat. Their hearts raced a bit once in a while and he could only assume that something startled them.

* * *

Deep inside the darkened fortress, Echo was led by Captain Henry "Frosty" Jansen. He had been a marine since the marine corps was founded two years after Alto became president. Henry was but a young soldier during the Aparoid Invasion but he was a fine leader. That was what made him climb up the ranks fast. The 43 year-old terrier always kept calm in a tense situation but he usually fought on worlds controlled by Corneria. It was his first time fighting on Venom. Still, he managed to stay calm.

"Eyes sharp, team. The Venomians could still be in the fortress," Henry said. "There're eight of us. I want to split us into four fireteams. Alia, you're with me. Duke, you pair up with Nova. Locke, you're with Smith. Grayson and Shin, you're a pair. We head out and search for the disruptor that's been disrupting the communications signal of our ships. Maintain radio contact at all times and NEVER let your teammate out of your sight. If you're in trouble, do not panic. Hoorah?"

"Hoorah!" the other marines responded.

"Alright, let's move out and eliminate that disruptor."

The fortress was divided into four sectors. Henry took the northern sector while the others took the remaining sectors. Most of the fortress was powered down and the marines had to rely on their flashlights to illuminate the path ahead. Henry and Alia went into a room full of computers and it seemed like they were used quite recently. He placed his hand on a computer and felt that they were warm.

"Somebody's been here," Alia muttered.

"Can't those Venomians just give up? They've been causing us nothing but trouble," Henry remarked.

"For them, it's easier said than done. Their allegiance lies with some ape who'se long dead."

Henry nodded his head. He checked the oxygen meter on his helmet-mounted display and saw that he had two hours worth of oxygen left.

"Let's double-time before our oxygen runs low," Henry said.

"Captain, I'm picking up high energy emissions coming from the battle bunker. It's…unusual," Duke reported in.

"How so?"

"It's…not the sort of energy emission you'd expect from disruptors. I – I can't explain it. I can see readings on my reader spiking but it looks like the energy source is…moving around."

"Mobile disruptors perhaps?"

"I dunno but –"

Static covered the channel before Duke finished his sentence. Suddenly, Henry saw Duke's status monitor go dark and his heartbeat flatlined. His companion, Nova, was still alive and her heartbeat was still steady as if nothing had happened. Something was very wrong. Henry glanced at Alia and she was rooted. Her helmet covered her face but the way she shifted her body uncomfortably told Henry that she was feeling uneasy.

"We just lost Duke and Nova's still alive and well," Alia said in a calm voice.

"Nova, what happened to Duke? Where's he?" Henry said after opening a comm channel to her.

There was no answer although Henry thought he heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped. It worried him because Nova was carrying a shotgun as her primary weapon for this operation.

"Corporal Nova, did you just frag your teammate?!"

No answer.

"Corporal Nova, I'm asking you a question!" Henry said angrily but still received no reply. "Damn it, she's gone rogue. All teams form up on me now. Watch out for Nova and if you see her, stay away from her."

The teams met up at the fortress's central chamber. Everyone was fine and Henry was relieved to see that.

"Did anyone pick up Duke's transmission?" Henry asked.

"I think we all did," Grayson said on behalf of the team. "What's wrong with Nova? Did she hit her head or something? Maybe someone convinced her that she's Venomian?"

"Maybe you did it, idiot," Locke sneered. "Nova's a marine through and through. She wouldn't attack her own teammates."

"Didn't Duke say that there was some sort of unusual energy emission?" Alia asked. "Maybe it's the energy emission that's affecting Nova."

Locke looked at Alia. "Are you suggesting…mind control? That's absurd."

"Hey, these are Andross's belongings we're talking about. If that galoot can turn himself into a floating head of doom, you think he can't invent something that does mind control?" Alia shot back.

Locke wanted to argue but Henry stopped him. "Alia's got a point. Andross's technologies aren't supposed to be taken lightly. If he can accomplish something like modifying his body into something far beyond what we're capable of, then I can safely say that mind control is a possibility. We have to find out who or what is responsible."

"Are they responsible for the communications disruption too?" Grayson asked.

"It's possible but we won't know for sure until we find out. Stick close and watch each other's backs. If anyone points a gun at you, do not shoot back. Disarm and restrain."

* * *

Fox was lucky to have avoided most of the building's security measures by taking the stairway but he saw that the CEO was in his office. He managed to catch a glimpse of the name plate that was on the office door.

"Mr. Corral eh. I think you're needed elsewhere," Fox said softly as he plucked a distraction grenade from his utility belt.

The distraction grenade was a non-lethal utility device which came in two variants: the "ghost voice" variant and the "simulated gunfire" variant. The ghost voice variant had a digital recorder to record voices so it could use the recorded voices to distract others. There was an employee on the same floor who had the same surname as the CEO so Fox waited for an opportunity to record someone who called for the employee. He got that chance when one of the employee's colleagues called out his name.

With the voice recording ready, Fox planted the distraction grenade in a flower pot outside of the CEO's office. He knocked on the office door and activated the grenade at the same time.

"Mr. Corral, can I see you for a moment?"

Fox waited next to a box of paperwork. A few seconds later, the CEO emerged from his office and looked around to see who had called him.

"Jenny," the ape said, "where the hell are you? What is it that's so important?"

As he went to look for Jenny, Fox slipped into his office soundlessly. When he entered the office, he immediately went straight for the computer. His fingers worked quickly as he opened one folder after the other. There were hundreds of documents in the computer but none were particularly important. He did come across several transaction slips which were made with other major companies, Beltino Ballistics included. It was puzzling so Fox decided to download them all into a portable data storage drive.

There was still no sign of a copy of the building's blueprints and Fox had little time to rummage through all the data. However, he was able to download several memos that point to the possible existence of a hidden lab beneath the building. That was all he got before the CEO returned to his office.

"Playing a prank on me, did they? Wait 'till I dock their paychecks. Then we'll see who has the last laugh," Fox heard the CEO mutter.

The office door opened and the CEO came into the room just as Fox removed the storage drive from the computer. He did it quietly enough so that the ape did not hear it. The door was slowly closing and Fox walked as quickly as he could to the door. He managed to fit through the closing gap but the door clamped on the tail of his Ghost Skin suit. Fox felt his heart miss a beat but he quickly found a solution. He tore off the tail and left it there. Without power, the metamaterial fabric became visible. Fox grabbed the distraction grenade, deactivated it, and went on his way.

"Slippy, I haven't found any blueprints but I have some files that you might be interested in," Fox contacted Slippy when he entered the stairwell.

"That's ok, Fox, I think you've done your best. We'll be waiting at Grand Street. It's just behind BioCorp," said Slippy.

"Roger that but I think I'd like to stick around for a while. There's something I need to look at," Fox said.

"What'd you mean?"

"I found a map of the building and I noticed that there's a warehouse. If BioCorp's headquarters doesn't have any sort of manufacturing capabilities, why'd they need a warehouse for? I don't think they'd need it for storing mops and brooms."

"It's possible that the headquarters acts as a gathering point for their products that were manufactured elsewhere but if you wanna look into it, please be careful."

"I always am," Fox said in a confident manner.

* * *

"Pilot…read…trouble…overrun…"

"Captain? Captain Henry, are you there?" Bill asked.

"Extraction…danger…coming!"

The radio was filled with static and the intensifying ion storm was not helping the situation. Bill was in a dilemma. He was probably being asked to prepare for extraction but if he turned on the engines, the electronics would be fried and he won't be able to take off at all.

"Captain, I can't take off. The ion storm's gonna fry the ATG," Bill said.

He waited for a response but the captain never replied and Bill was greeted by a flood of loud static. Sensing danger, Bill put on his helmet and reached for his sidearm before disembarking from the aircraft. Just as he did that, a lightning bolt struck the ATG and hit the cockpit. Had he stayed in there, he could've been killed. The ATG did not explode but Bill had no doubt the controls were fried. They were not going anywhere now.

"Damn…how am I supposed to contact the fleet?" Bill said to himself.

There was no other choice than to enter the fortress for cover. It was probably the safer inside than exposing himself to the fury of the ion storm. Even though Bill was a seasoned pilot, he was not the best soldier. However, he was confident of his own shooting skills. Besides, the hyperblaster allowed him to mow down enemies with its rapid rate of fire. It looks like he would be stranded down here for a while so he went back to the ATG to retrieve some batteries for the suit's rebreather unit. Each fusion battery should last at least five days of constant use so oxygen should not be an issue but the lack food and water would be a problem.

Bill found a cache of energy bars but it was pointless because the moment his helmet comes off, he would suffocate. He could still drink water because there was a liquid transfer tube in the helmet which could be used to transfer drinkable liquids from outside of the suit to the wearer's mouth. There were only two one-liter water bottles though. That won't last them for a day and if they ran out, they would be in big trouble.

His only hope now is that the storm would clear enough so he could send a S.O.S. signal to the fleet orbiting Venom.

* * *

_Glossary_

Assault/Transport Gunship: The ATG is a sub-orbital vertical take-off and landing aircraft built to ferry troops around the battlefield as well as providing close air support for ground troops. The hardiness of the ATG allows it to operate in almost all hostile environments but it lacks protection from charged particles.

Distraction Grenade: It is a non-lethal weapon designed for distraction purposes. Variant One grenades have speakers and a recorder so it could replay recorded voices. Variant Two emits loud bangs and flashes to simulate explosions and gunfire.

Energy Sword: The energy sword is a prototype weapon made by Beltino Ballistics. It utilizes an experimental compact G-Diffuser unit to provide the energy sword unlimited energy. Preliminary tests showed the sword's potential as a counter against forcefield barriers.

Ion Storm: By releasing charged particles into the atmosphere, the Venomians can create localized ion storms. Communications do not function within the area of effect and the storm shuts down all electronic systems. G-Diffusers are particularly vulnerable to them.

Hazardous Environment Suit: These suits are specially designed for use in hostile environments such as Venom's surface. The suit is built over an exoskeleton powered by a compact fusion battery pack. It is able to withstand laser fire as well as traditional gunpowder projectiles.

301st Space Assault Task Force: With Venomian terror tactics growing more and more complex and dangerous, Corneria's Marine Corps formed the 301st Space Assault Task Force to combat the Venomian threat. They can operate in all environments ranging from planetside battles to space combat.

Heavy Composite Plating: They are the next generation of protective plating manufactured to rectify the Landmaster's problem of having too light an armor. Utilizing multiple layers of different alloys and reflective materials sandwiched into a plate, the HCP provides ample protection against heavy lasers and high explosive rounds. They are light enough to be fitted on heavy aircrafts.

Turbo Blasters: The Arwing laser cannon was an effective weapon but the military decided to add more variety to the current cache. The first new laser cannon in line is the turbo blaster, a non-chargeable laser cannon with a very high rate of fire. Turbo blasters could easily shred infantry and lightly armored vehicles but they do no good against tanks and heavy vehicles.

_A/N: I want to thank those who commented for the comments. Whatever questions you asked, I will answer them in later chapters (hopefully without loopholes). Do keep the reviews coming._


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